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Whale Eater
This is independent evidence for the Whale-eater theory after sightings in the last several years. The Traditional name actually is "Whale Eater" after translated, in many regions. Description Like other pliosaurs, Kronosaurus was a marine reptile. It had an elongated head, a short neck, a stiff body propelled by four flippers, and a relatively short tail. The posterior flippers were larger than the anterior. Kronosaurus was carnivorous, and had many long, sharp, conical teeth. Current estimates put Kronosaurus at around 10–13 meters (33–43 feet) in length. All Sauropterygians had a modified pectoral girdle that supported a powerful swimming stroke. Kronosaurus and other plesiosaurs/pliosaurs had a similarly adapted pelvic girdle, allowing them to push hard against the water with all four flippers. Between its two limb girdles was a massive mesh of gastralia (belly ribs) that provided additional strength and support. The strength of the limb girdles, combined with evidence of large, powerful swimming muscles, indicates that Kronosaurus was likely a fast, active swimmer Sightings World War I "The old Gods were creatures to be feared." Max Hawthorne thought that the great marine reptiles of the Mesozoic; in particular, the mosasaurs and pliosaurs that once ruled the primeval seas, could still exist. "After all, they’re all dead and gone. Nothing left but fossils. That’s what I always believed. At least, until my research started uncovering eye witness statements like the WWI sighting" He also includes the creatures first sighting. "During World War I, the German submarine U28, under the command of Captain Georg von Forstner, torpedoed the British steamer Iberian in the North Atlantic. His report read: On July 30, 1915, our U28 torpedoed the British steamer Iberian carrying a rich cargo in the North Atlantic. The steamer sank quickly, the bow sticking almost vertically into the air. When it had gone for about twenty-five seconds there was a violent explosion. A little later pieces of wreckage, and among them a gigantic sea animal (writhing and struggling wildly), was shot out of the water to a height of 60 to 100 feet. At that moment I had with me in the conning tower my officers of the watch, the chief engineer, the navigator, and the helmsman. Simultaneously we all drew one another attention to this wonder of the seas . . . we were unable to identify it. We did not have time to take a photograph, for the animal sank out of sight after ten or fifteen seconds. It was about 60 feet long, was like a crocodile in shape, and had four limbs with powerful webbed feet…” 2012 Sighting On August 13th, 2012, a 65-foot fin whale ended up stranded on the beach off the St. Austell coast of England. This was documented by both still pictures and film footage. According to the reports, the whale swam into the shallows and remained there until the receding tide left it stranded. Despite rescue efforts, the whale – which was reported as malnourished, extremely distressed, and sporting injuries to its face and eye; the whale died shortly thereafter. Photographs from the sighting indicated that the whale’s face was riddled with gouging wounds. From the proceeding photograph, there are a series of deep punctures running along the right side of its lower jaw that are quite visible in many of the pictures. The punctures are evenly spaced and run in a straight line, then curve around to form an unmistakable, elongated U-shaped pattern. "And when I looked at the wound pattern on the fin whale’s face, I found myself coming to one inescapable conclusion: It’s a bite mark." Based on the photographic evidence, a creature with huge, long, crocodile-shaped jaws lined with big, sharp teeth, attacked the fin. " Note: the fossil record supports the potential for such a predator in the exact same region. The Weymouth Bay pliosaur (also known as Pliosaurus kevani), whose skull is on display in the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester, had a tooth-lined skull measuring nearly eight feet in length, with the animal itself calculated at nearly forty. From the Getty images online; in particular the one where rescue workers are surrounding the fin’s head; the portion of the whale’s lower jaw where it was enveloped measures about six feet. Given that the punctures are shallower and more ragged closer to the tip of the whale’s jaw, and also taking into account the whale’s bullet-shaped head (which would have resulted in more scrapes and less punctures if that portion of its face was inside a predator’s wide-open mouth), the attacker must have had a substantial gape. In fact, using a side photo of the Weymouth Bay pliosaur’s skull as a point of reference, It is estimated that the jaws of the creature that attacked the fin measured approximately between ten and twelve feet in length. With a five-to-one ratio of skull to body, that equates to a pliosaur up to sixty feet in length; the same size as the animal U-Boat Captain Georg von Forstner spotted in 1915. The news reports also state that the whale was very malnourished, extremely distressed, and had numerous injuries, including scrapes and scratches and wounds around its eye, as can be seen in the images. The rescue workers stating that divers reported the animal had also suffered abdominal wounds. Knowing how modern ambush predators like white sharks attack from below, it is likely that the whale was initially attacked from below. Indicating the predator would have avoided a defensive fluke strike. Also, attacking the whale’s face, the creatures toughest, boniest point, would have been far less productive. On the other hand, if the initial attack was unsuccessful, the whale’s attacker would have simply kept after it, like a [[Komodo Dragon|'Komodo dragon']] that delivers a deadly bite, and then waits for its prey to expire. The aggressor may have pursued the wounded whale and repeatedly harried it, with the goal of preventing it from feeding or resting until it was so drained and exhausted it was unable to fight back, indicating an easy kill. Many people believe that extinct creatures still roam the forests and oceans of the world. Whether it’s the [[Yeti|'Yeti']], [[Champ|'Champ']], or the [[Loch Ness Monster|'monster of Loch Ness']], the legends of these creatures remain, and with regular sightings to bolster them. "In the past, I looked at these assorted reports from a cautious, albeit hopeful perspective – the viewpoint of a writer with a passion for such things who would like to believe in them, but is hesitant to say he does. Now, the situation is different. Before, all that existed were reports and eye witness accounts. But now, for the first time, we have something tangible." Max Hawthorne stated that the oceans are turning out to be a far more diverse (and harrowing) place than any places inhabited by the modern population. "And if these creatures – these great, scaly titans of prehistory – are still out there, lurking in the ocean depths, and (wisely) avoiding us like the plague, we need to find them. We need to (as safely as possible) locate them, study them, learn from them, and most importantly, we need to protect them. Because if the remnants of a race of mega-predators that once shared our planet with the dinosaurs are still alive, they are the greatest survivors in the history of the world: They are the true Lords of the Deep Category:Aquatic-based Cryptid Category:Carnivore Category:Oceanic Cryptids Category:European cryptids Category:Reptile Category:Reptiles and Amphibians Category:Fish Category:Whales Category:Cryptid Wiki Category:Giant cryptid Category:Cryptids Category:Cetaceans Category:Living fossil